Sustainable Seafood: 3 Winos and a Fishtale 2013

3 Winos and a Fishtale is a day-long annual event showcasing premium champagnes and wines with sustainable seafood from Australia and New Zealand.

3 Winos and a Fishtale 

Back for the fifth year, the trade and media event is hosted by Combined Wines, Fishtales, World Wine Estates and Winestock and offers an opportunity to discover sustainable produce and taste some of the best local and international wines.

Glacier 51 Toothfish

Glacier 51 Toothfish

Glacier 51 Toothfish is caught in the Australian sub-Antartic territory around Heard Island, 4109 kilometres from Mainland Australia. The fish is caught off Glacier 51, a real location that lends its name to the brand. Four trips a year are undertaken in treacherous sea conditions, each lasting for 75 days. The fishing expedition has one person on watch the entire time for safety reasons.

Glacier 51 Toothfish is certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council and was recently launched at the Noosa Food and Wine show. The fish has a complex flavour profile while remaining delicate in the mouth.

Mojama de Atun

Mojama

From Mooloolaba Tuna Company in Byron Bay comes Mojama, salted and dried albacore or white tuna. These are sustainable varieties that are prolific and fast breeding. The tuna is caught by hook and line in the waters of the Western Pacific Ocean, off the east coast of Australia.

The tuna is cured in salt for three days then cold smoked over tea tree and air dried for weeks. Rich and flavoursome, Mojama goes well in tapas dishes and enjoyed simply with olive oil.

Yarra Valley Caviar

Yarra Valley Caviar

Yarra Valley Caviar is grown in a fresh water  aquaculture farm in rural Victoria and is milked by hand once a year when the salmon are ready to release their eggs. The fish are treated humanely for harvest by anesthetising them with clove oil and gently hand milking the caviar. No hormones or antibiotics are used and bio-sustainable farming methods are put to practice. The salmon caviar is plump, with a clean flavour and eggs that blissfully pop in the mouth.

Cloudy Bay Clams

Cloudy Bay Clams

Cloudy Bay Clams are native and indigenous to New Zealand and are certified by Friend of the Sea. Four species are available: Diamond Shell, Storm Clam, Tua Tua and Moonshell. The clams undergo a light blanching process (at 83 deg for 1 minute) to kill any bugs before they are packed, closed ready to eat. They have a soft texture and a sweet and briny flavour.

Fraser Isle Spanner Crab Meat

Fraser Isle Spanner Crabs

Fraser Isle Spanner Crabs are caught in pristine waters off Fraser Island in Queensland. The fishery is one of the few in the world to be endorsed by the World Wide Fund for Nature. The crab meat is produced from live predator crabs which have less ammonium in their diet and have a clean and sweet flavour that makes it a sashimi grade product.

Chatham Island Blue Cod and Black Abalone

Chatham Island Blue Cod and Black Abalone

The Chatham Islands are located 850 km east of New Zealand surrounded by pristine waters an wild landscape. Chatham Island Blue Cod is caught on a needs basis. When all orders are placed, the fishermen head out to catch what is needed, taking 40 hours from ocean to restaurant.

The fish are caught in pots which attract the right size fish. Bait is used, no nets or hooks, and the pots stay in the water for 30-40 minutes. The fish are bled instantly and placed into ice slurry which ensures they remain fresh with an extended shelf life.

Also from Chatham Island, Black Abalone are caught by mask and snorkel divers. The colour is like squid ink and inside, the flesh has a grey colour and an earthy flavour.

Mooloolaba Albacore Tuna

Mooloolaba Albacore Tuna 

Mooloolaba Albacore Tuna comes from South East Queensland and offers the sashimi grade Bincho tuna which is firm, sweet and mild with a creamy texture. Tonno Bianco Albacore tuna is line caught and more suitable for cooking which should be seared or cooked at low temperatures as it loses its fat quickly.

Cape Le Grande Sardines

Cape Le Grande Sardines

Cape Le Grande sardines are caught off Western Australia’s south coast near Esperance, Albany, Bremer Bay and Cape Le Grand National Park. Light, fresh with a clean flavour, the sustainable sardines are available as plain fillets or panko crumbed fillets.

Kinkawooka Mussels

Kinkawooka mussels 

Kinkawooka mussels come from Boston Bay in South Australia and the only Friend of the Sea certified Mainland mussel producer. The mussels are soft and sweet with the males (yellow) a little sweeter than the females (orange). The mussels come in sealed live pot ready packaging, scrubbed, cleaned and de-bearded ready for cooking.

Other Food

Pepe Say Butter

Pepe Saya offered tastings of his artisanal butter,

Mindy Woods’ Malaysian Seafood Curry

and Masterchef’s Mindy Woods prepared a delicious Malaysian curry using sustainable seafood.

Vodka and Raw Bar

In the wine tasting room, a Vodka and Raw Bar offered tastings of Crystal Head Vodka with Yarra Valley Caviar and Cloudy Bay Diamond Clams. Known for the shape of its bottle, the Canadian vodka is made with no additives, glycerol or citrus oil.

3 Winos and a Fishtale hosted the Rare and Impossible Lunch at the Sydney Four Seasons Hotel showcasing exceptional vintages and extraordinary seafood.

3 Winos and a Fishtale was held on Monday 5 August 2013.